REGULATION 17 – ERGONOMICS

17.1. The purpose of this regulation is to establish the parameters that permit the adaptation of working conditions to the

psycho physiological characteristics of the workers, in such a way that it maximizes comfort, safety and efficient

performance.

17.1.1. The working conditions include aspects related to lifting, transportation and offloading of materials, to furniture,

equipment to the environmental conditions at the work station, and to the organization of the work.

17.1.2. To assess the adaptation of the working conditions to the psycho physiological characteristics of the workers, the

employer may carry out an ergonomic analysis of the work, which should cover, at least, the working conditions, in

accordance with those established in this Regulation.

17.2. Individual lifting, transport and offloading of materials.

17.2.1. For the effects of this Regulation:

17.2.1.1. Manual transportation of loads is all transportation in which the weight of the load is entirely supported by one

single worker, including the lifting and lowering of the load.

17.2.1.2. Regular manual transportation of loads is every activity carried out in a continuous way, or that includes, even in

an interrupted form, the manual transportation of loads.

17.2.1.3. Younger worker means all workers younger than 18 (eighteen) and older than 14 (fourteen) years of age.

17.2.2. The manual transportation of loads by a worker shall not be requested nor admitted if the weight of which makes

the worker susceptible to harm to his health or safety. (117.001-5 / I1)

17.2.3. All workers who are designated for the regular manual transportation of loads that are not light shall receive

training or satisfactory instructions as to the working methods that shall be used, to safeguard his health and avoid

accidents. (117.002-3 / I2)

17.2.4. With view to limiting or facilitating the manual transportation of loads, the appropriate technical means shall be

used.

17.2.5. When women and young workers have been designated to manually transport loads, the maximum weight of these

loads shall be much lighter than that admitted for men, to avoid jeopardizing their health or safety. (117.003-1 / I1)

17.2.6. The transportation and offloading of materials by way of impulse or traction of wagons on rails, trolleys or any

other mechanical apparatus shall be carried out in such a way that the physical force exerted by the worker be compatible

to his physical capacity and not prejudicial to his health or safety. (117.004-0 / 11)

17.2.7. The work of lifting material by means of manually operated equipment shall be carried out in such a way that the

physical force exerted by the worker be compatible to his physical capacity and not prejudicial to his health or safety.

(117.005-8 / 11)

17.3. Furniture at work stations.

17.3.1. Whenever the work may be carried out in a seated position, the work station shall be planned or adapted for this

position. (117.006-6 / I1)

17.3.2. For manual seated work or that which has to be done in a standing position, the counters, tables, desks and panels

shall provide a good posture, view and operation and shall meet the minimum following requisites:

a) to be of height and with the working surface characteristics compatible to the type of activity, at a required distance

from the eyes to the field of work and height of seating; (117.007-4 / I2)

b) the working area will be of easy access and view by the worker; (117.008-2 / I2)

c) the dimensions will enable adequate positioning and movement of body parts. (117.009-0 / I2)

17.3.2.1. For works that also require the use of the feet, apart from the requisites outlined in sub item 17.3.2, the pedals

and other commands for feet activation shall be positioned and dimensioned for easy reach, and the angles between the

various parts of the body shall be adequate, in function of the characteristics and peculiarities of the work to be done.

(117.010-4 / I2)

17.3.3. The seating used at the work stations, shall meet the following requisites for minimum comfort:

a) the height shall be adjustable to the stature of the worker and to the nature of the function to be carried out; (117.011-2 /

I1)

b) little or no, figuration characteristics at the base of the seating; (117.012-0 / I1)

c) a round front edge; (117.013-9 / I1)

d) the back shall be slightly adaptable to the body to protect the lombar region (117.014-7 / Il)

17.3.4. For activities in which the works shall be carried out in a seated position, from an occupational ergonometric

analysis, a support for the feet may be required, which adapts itself to the length of the worker’s legs. (117.015-5 / I1)

17.3.5. For activities in which the work shall be carried out in a standing position, seating shall be placed for resting in

places where all workers can use them during their resting periods. (117.016-3 / I2)

17.4. Equipment at work places.

17.4.1. All equipment that makes up the work front shall be adequate for the psycho physiological characteristics of the

workers and to the nature of the work to be carried out.

17.4.2. For activities that require the reading of documents for digitalization, typing or mechanographics shall:

a) be supplied with an adequate support so that the documents can be adjusted providing a good posture, viewing and

operation, avoiding frequent movements of the neck and visual fatigue; (117.017-1 / I1)

b) have clearly legible documents used whenever possible, being the use of glossy paper , or any other type that provokes

dazzling prohibited. (117.018-0 / I1)

17.4.3. Equipment used for data processing with video display units shall observe the following:

a) furniture that permits the adjustment of the video display unit of the equipment to the luminosity of the ambience,

avoiding reflections and providing the correct visual angle for the worker; (117.019-8 / I2)

b) the keyboard shall be independent and mobile, permitting adjustment by the worker in accordance with the tasks to be

performed; (117.020-1 / I2)

c) the video display unit, the keyboard and the document support shall be placed in such a way that the eye to screen, eye

to keyboard and eye to document distances be approximately the same; (117.021-0 / I2)

d) the working services shall be placed at an adjustable height. (117.022-8 / I2)

17.4.3.1. When electronic data processing equipment with terminals with video display units are used the demands

provided for in sub item 17.4.3 may be dispensed with, observing the nature of the tasks to be performed, and taking into

consideration the occupational ergonomic analysis.

17.5. Occupational environment conditions.

17.5.1. Occupational environment conditions shall be adequate for the psycho physiological characteristics of the workers

and to the nature of the work to be performed.

17.5.2. At work places where activities to be carried out require intellectual efforts and constant attention, such as control

rooms, laboratories, offices, project development or analysis rooms, amongst others, the following conditions for comfort

are recommended:

a) noise levels in accordance with NBR 10152, Brazilian standard registered at INMETRO; (117.023-6 / I2)

b) effective temperature level between 20° C (twenty) and 23°C (twenty-three degrees centigrade); (117.024-4 / I2)

c) airspeed that does not exceed 0.75m/s; (117.025-2 / I2)

d) relative humidity of the air that is not lower than 40% (forty) (117.026-0 / I2)

17.5.2.1. For the activities whose characteristics may be defined in sub item 17.5.2, yet are not equivalent or correlated to

those related to NBR 10152, accepted noise level in terms of comfort shall be up to 65 dB (A) and the noise assessment

curve (NC) not superior to 60 dB.

17.5.2.2. The parameters provided for in sub item 17.5.2 shall be measured at the workstations, being noise levels

determined close to the hearing zone and the other variables at the height of the chest of the worker.

17.5.3. In all work places there shall be adequate lighting, natural or artificial, general or supplementary, and appropriate

for the nature of the activity.

17.5.3.1. The overall lighting shall be uniformly distributed and diffused.

17.5.3.2. The overall or supplementary lighting shall be designed and installed in such a way as to avoid dazzling,

annoying reflections, shadows and excessive contrasts.

17.5.3.3. The minimum levels of lighting to be observed at the work place, are the values established in NBR 5413,

Brazilian standard registered at INMETRO. (117.027-9 / I2)

17.5.3.4. The measuring of the levels of lighting provided for in sub item 17.5.3.3 shall be carried out at the work places

where visual tasks are performed, using the light meter with a photo cell adjusted to the sensitivity of the human eye and

to the angle of incidence. (117.028-7 / I2)

17.5.3.5. Whenever it is not possible to define the field of work provided for in sub item 17.5.3.4, this will be a horizontal

plan at 0.75m (seventy-five centimeters) off the floor.

17.6. Work organization.

17.6.1. The organization of the work shall be adequate for the psycho physiological characteristics of the workers and the

nature of the work to be performed.

17.6.2. The organization of the work, for the effects of this Regulation, shall take into consideration, at least:

a) the production standards;

b) the operational mode;

c) the time demand;

d) the determination of the time contents;

e) the work pace;

f) the contents of the tasks.

17.6.3. In activities that demand a static or dynamic muscular overload of the neck, shoulders, back and upper and lower

members, and from the ergonomic analysis of the work, the following shall be observed:

for effects of remuneration and advantages of any type

it shall be taken into consideration the repercussions on

the health of the workers; (117.029-5 / I3)

b) rest periods shall be included; (117.030-9 / I3)

c) when returning-to-work, after any type of absence equal or superior to 15 days, the production demand shall permit to a

gradual return to the production level in force at the time prior to the absence. (117.031-7 / I3)

17.6.4. In activities of data processing, one should, except when provided for in Collective Labor Agreements or

conventions, observe the following:

a) the employer shall not promote any system of evaluation of the workers involved in digitalization, based on the

individual number of strokes on the keyboard, including the automated key board, for the effects of remuneration or

advantages of any type; (117.032-5)

b) the maximum number of real strokes demanded by the employer shall never be superior to 8000 strokes(eight

thousand) per hour worked, considering that a real stroke, for the effects of this Regulation, is any movement of pressure

on the keyboard; (117.033-3 / I3)

c) the effective amount of time worked on the entry of data shall not exceed a maximum limit of 5 (five) hours, being that

the remaining time of the shift the worker may carry out other activities, observed what is provided for in art. 468 of the

Consolidated Labor Laws, providing that neither repetitive movements nor visual efforts are demanded. (117.034-1 / I3)

d) in activities involving data entry there shall be, at least, a 10 (ten) minute pause for every 50 (fifty) minutes worked, not

deducted from the work shift; (117.035-0 / I3)

e) when returning to work, after any type of absence equal or superior to than 15 (fifteen) days, the demand for production

in relation to the number of strokes shall be initiated at lower levels to the maximum established in section "b" and be

increased gradually. (117.036-8 / I3)